Method

• 1.
  Make the brine by bringing 8 cups (2L) water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add the fennel seeds, ginger, peppercorns and 1 1/2 tsp fine salt. Remove from heat and leave to cool completely.
• 2.
  Place the whole chicken in the brine and refrigerate overnight.
• 3.
  Mix all marinade ingredients in a large bowl and season lightly with fine salt.
• 4.
  Drain chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Place the chicken in the marinade, ensuring that it is well coated both inside and out. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• 5.
  Meanwhile, to make the stuffing, toast the cardamom and cassia bark lightly in a dry frypan over low heat until fragrant. Remove and leave to cool, then blend to a fine powder in a spice grinder.
• 6.
  Heat the ghee in a large frypan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden.
• 7.
  Add the mince and cook for 10 minutes, or until it releases its liquid. Add ground cardamom and cassia bark. Season well. Once mince is fully cooked, add the nuts and raisins and mix well. Take off the heat and leave it to come to room temperature. Add the chopped coriander and mix well.
• 8.
  Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.
• 9.
  Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Stuff the chicken with the stuffing, adding the boiled egg to the centre. Gather the legs of the chicken and tie together with a piece of kitchen string to secure the filling.
• 10.
  Place a frypan over high heat and add the ghee. Brown the chicken on all sides until caramelised.
• 11.
  Now, place chicken in a roasting pan with reserved marinade, plus the ghee from the frypan. Roast for 1 hour 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked. Regularly baste chicken with the marinade. Turn off oven and let the chicken rest in the oven for a further 20 minutes.
• 12.
  Remove the chicken from the oven and carve to serve with some stuffing. This is beautiful eaten with paratha or served with rice and chopped fresh coriander.